Welcome to Oscar E. Olsen Park! The park consists of the largest remaining open space in Bogota, NJ and should be considered it’s crown jewel.

Oscar E Olsen Park

Oscar E Olsen Park was built on former marshland adjacent to the Hackensack River. Though an urban park, wildlife abounds for the patient observer. I was rewarded with a Bald Eagle flying over the Hackensack River.

Bald Eagle over Hackensack River

A focal point of the park is a bridge known as “The Olsen Park Hackensack River Environmental Walkway”. The walkway is a raised boardwalk strategically built next to the Hackensack River. Educational signs have been placed with assistance from the Hackensack Riverkeeper and Ducks Unlimited with information on the fauna of the adjacent Hackensack River. The signs describe typical flora and fauna of the Hackensack River and the nearby Meadowlands.

The Olsen Park Hackensack River Environmental Walkway was originally built in 1993 and was known as a “bridge to nowhere”. A lot of people thought it was a waste of tax payer money when it was built.

From the walkway you can view the nearby World War II era submarine USS Ling.

And don’t worry-the educational signs on the walkway are not blurry, just this picture.

There is a pathway which extends from the bridge that encircles the park. Olsen Park is a great place to explore and view wildlife on the Hackensack River.

Directions:

From NYC: Go West over the George Washington Bridge; Route 4 west; get off at the exit for River Road just before the bridge over the Hackensack River. Head south on River Road. At the junction with West Main Street on the left, turn right. On the left is an entrance for the park.

Feel free to comment with any questions, memories or suggestions! Thank you and have fun exploring!